HIT: CCC Success Maker (LONG)

[Josephine Dervan <rderva@injersey.com>]

Here are some responses that I received about CCC Success Maker an
automated skills review program for Reading and Math. The responses were
mixed but some had strong feelings pro and con. Thanks to  Susan, Judy,
Nancy, Sarah, Becky, Rhonda, Margaret, Lizz, Mary, and Laurie for their
responses. Special thanks to Johnnye for her unposted HIT from last
year.

Jo

The benefits can be major if the students are using the program once a
day at about 10-12 minutes a session in both math and reading.  This of
course also depends on if the students are actually trying or whether
they are mearly clicking on or typing in anything.  If your students are

not able to have a session of M and R each day, benefits can still be
had if they are in there 2 or three times a week.  It's just that the
results won't be as much.  If the students can only have access to the
program once a week or less, I'd say it's not worth their time and your
school's money.

********************************

I haven't had personal experience with CCC, but several schools in our
district have and I continually hear the comment of how expensive it is
to
keep up.  They seem to like the features of the program and our
curriculum
coordinator has said it is very good.  We used the IBM TLC program and
most
students were bored with it.

**********************************************

 One of my teacher friends has used CCC at two schools and just
can't say enough good things about it.  She especially likes the way
that lessons can be individualized for the students.  She has used
other computer systems, but says they do not compare at all to CCC.  I
believe that she uses this for reinforcement of both reading and math;
she teaches 2nd grade - don't know how much this will help you but she
just swears by CCC.  Hope your search is successful!

******************************************

We began using CCC in December.  So far, our faculty has had mixed
reaction.
We do not have enough stations to use it as much as the company
recommends.
One school in our district has used it almost 2 years and swears by it.
They have a separate lab for CCC and it is full all day.  It is rigidly
scheduled, and if one child is absent, then another is pulled and put in
his
slot.

************************************

We bought it about 4 or 5 years ago.  It is a glorified worksheet.
Great
for those student who need lots of practice, but it is not for every
student.  The company suggests 20 minutes a day.  The students started
to
hate computers because that was all they ever did with it.  It may be
good
for elementary, but not at the high school level.  Our test scores have
gone up, but I don't know that you can say that it is due to  CCC.

***************************************

We use it, and have for the past couple of years.  According to the
program, most kids are gaining, but you won't see much change by June.
There is no evidance, good or bad, to show if the program results carry
over into the real world.  That's my biggest concern about the program.

By the way, there tech support STINKS!  We have found that they are
terrible people to work with and have had a lot of problems.  The
program is very expensive, and I personally, would put my money
elsewhere.

***************************************
t is way too expensive for what we got out of
it in my opinion.  It has left a very bad taste in many mouths.  For one

thing, a person hired with no education background, our tech spec at the

county office pushed this thing with the Board and we spent 1.8ml on it.

**************************************************

  The elementaries have had some success.  Each elementary school has a
computer lab
with 30 computers.  Each student must log 15 minutes per day on CCC.
Therefore, no one can
use the lab for anything else. The middle school also occupies their lab
the majority of the time
with CCC.  At the high school, CCC is rarely used. These are glorified
worksheets.  We started
with the math and Logal (for the upper math classes).  The teachers came
to the lab and explored
the program to see how they could use it.  With the exception of the
Special Ed. classes, no math
class has used it more than 3 times this year.  We have the English
Writing Solution and I don't
believe that any English teacher will use that.  I agree with most of
the responses that your money
can be used more productively elsewhere.

***********************************

  This is my first year in a school that implemented CCC last
  year. I can't say that I dislike the program, but I don't think it is
worth
  the major investment of $$$$$ required for startup and upkeep.  We
have a
  computer lab that classes visit on a schedule and at least one
networked
  computer in each classroom.

**********************************

  Our principal wants each student to spend at least 2 hours per month
on CCC
  in order to use the data it provides to show improvement.  That
doesn't
  seem like much time, but it leaves very little to make use of the
  computers' true capabilities.  They're being used for (let's face it)
  electronic worksheets.  And the kids are already hating to hear "CCC."

********************************

  We're starting to do exciting things with multimedia and research
using the
  Internet.  The kids love that and they love to produce slide shows,
etc.
  The teachers are being forced to use the things the students like to
do as
  a sort of carrot to get them to put it their time on CCC.  The poor
kids
  approach CCC sessions like they would an execution. It's sad.  I can
only
  imagine what it will be like in another year or so.
*********************************************

  What's good about the program?  Students who need extra drill, like
  resource kids, seem to need this kind of program.  And the hard data
it
  provides for next year's placement is valuable, I guess, but any good
  teacher can do that without a program that costs $80,000.00!
  Would I buy it if the decision was mine?  Not a chance.
**********************************

  We have found that CCC works much better at the elementary and
  middle school level than at high school.  It is very much an
electronic
  worksheet.
**************************************

  We have the CCC program Success Maker in our school system.  We are
  currently only using the Math component with all the students and the
some
  reading areas with individual student who are lower quartile.  My
school is
  K-3 and we are really happy with the program.  It does tailor to the
  student and all of our students have shown growth since we started.
****************************************

  My school has had CCC for about 5 years (2 labs and 2 mini labs) -
they also had a small
  mini-network of Jostens (just 6 computers).  We recently had the
opportunity to evaluate
  and choose among CCC and Jostens and several other vendors to upgrade
our software (they
  are upgrading our hardware).  Of the 8 schools that had a vote we all
chose CCC.  Our
  teachers are very pleased with the existing network and are looking
forward to the newer
  version.
****************************************

  We too had the demo etc and chose not to put our money into the system

  largely because it is an electronic workbook so to speak.  We chose to
put
  our technology dollars into programs that are more open ended and can
be
  used across grade levels and curricular areas.
**********************************************

I teach in Baltimore County, MD and our principal purchased the program
3 years ago. He paid to have all intermediate teachers trained and
insisted that the kids use the program for at least an hour/day (30
min., 30 min. rdg) The results were minimal improvement and the kids
HATED it after the first few months of using it. The teachers also HATED

it since all kids were on a pull-out situation when we switched classes
for math and sci./soc.st. Reteaching and catching up the kids who came
late to class after the motivation and initial instruction took place.
   My own personal opinion is that the program is nothing more than
glorified, technological WORKBOOKS!

******************************************

Hi, We've used CCC for two years now.  Overall we seem to like it, at
least I've had no complaints for teachers.  I don't know how much
progress is made by individual students, however from a parent point of
view, I have one particular concern that perhaps you should be aware of
so your school doesn't run into this problem.  My daughter is working on
math skills a year above her instructional level.  That would seem like
a good thing, but the students are rewarded for high scores which she
can no longer achieve because no one is teaching her those next grade
skills.  When she started coming home on a regular basis unhappy and
warning me that she isn't very good at math I did the only thing I could
think of.  I told her that she was doing third grade work as a second
grader and that no one was teacher her how.  I then explained that that
meant she was smart not dumb.  Then I started to teach her the skills
she needs.  So, whose job it is to teach these kids?  This should never
have happened in my oppinion.

*********************************************

We also piloted this several years ago.  It was a nightmare, tho to be
honest, most of the nightmares arose from a faulty network (and the fact

that I was put in charge and was refused any training time!!!).  At any
rate, the bad part about CCC was that for the pilot, EVERY student in
the
school had to participate.  As far as I could tell, it was a total waste

of time for the on target students, and a waste of time for students who

needed monitoring, because they were set to using it without enough
support in the room.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Josephine Dervan
Library Media Specialist
Strathmore Elementary School
Aberdeen, New Jersey, USA 07747

Home-rderva@injersey.com
School-jdervan@marsd.k12.nj.us

PC/Windows95, Netscape Communicator 4.0/Netscape Mail

"Anyone who has a library and a garden wants for nothing"- CICERO

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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